Bent not Broken

by Lisa De Jong

  We didn’t have a VIP room, but the table was private enough and tucked in the corner near the bar. We were also able to view the stage and dance floor. It felt good to finally be free from reading case after case, studying, and dealing with the grief I suffered the past seven months. I just wanted a drink! Although I didn’t go out a lot, I made sure every Friday, either on my own or with Jeremy, to have a few glasses of wine to mellow out after a long week. This time I wanted liquor, not wine; I wanted to feel free, good, and relaxed.

  The waitress returned with our drinks and three shot glasses.

  I look at Jeremy confused; I didn’t hear him order shots. “Mr. DeLuca sent these over; he said he’ll be by once he greets a few people,” the waitress blurted and then left.

  Raising an eyebrow at Jeremy, I freaked the hell out. “Mr. DeLuca who?”

  He smiled. “Okay, so I kind of never told you that I know Marcus. He owns this club, and my father designed a few things for him.” He shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his drink.

  My eyes grew narrow. “You kind of never told me? And what about the externship? I knew you met him before and your father designed his office building, but I didn’t know he owned this club and that you guys were close.”

  “Mia, we’re not best friends. We’ve had a few drinks before … mostly here when you were hibernating for the past seven months.”

  “And the externship position?”

  He bit down on his bottom lip nervously. “Well, Marc told me I have it. They just have to do the interview; it’s mandatory.” I rolled my eyes. I can’t believe this! Now I’m going to sit here all goo-goo gaga over this dude because my best friend failed to mention that the guy we are interviewing with on Friday not only owns this place but he fucking knows him personally! Great! I grabbed my drink and chugged it down. “Whoa, calm down, Mia! He’s cool; trust me. He’s not like these stuck-up snobby, rich kids you see at school.”

  He had to be kidding me. “No he’s instead the richest and top lawyer of Boston! Jeremy, I’m not ready for this. This is my career we’re talking about. Yours is obviously set! The last thing I want is for my possible future to meet me in a club over drinks. I wanted to get drunk tonight and make a fool out of myself. Now I have to behave!” He didn’t move or say anything just looked at me with those blue eyes and a sympathetic smile. God! There’s no point; he would never understand. His entire life was rolled out in front of him like a red carpet. I spotted the waitress and lifted my glass. She nodded in response and worked her way back to the bar again.

  I was so nervous. Just be yourself, Mia, everything is going to be okay. I took a few deep breaths. My empty glass was replaced with another Cosmo, I thanked the waitress and she left. I took small sips this time. Jeremy grabbed my hand, “Mia I’m sorry, okay. Trust me he’s cool.” His touch quickly calmed my nerves. He was right; I’d be fine. I was overreacting as I usually did when it involved my future. I took a few more sips and calmed.

  After what seemed like forever, I was on my fourth Cosmo and third shot. I was extremely relaxed. Still no DeLuca, but we finally met up with David and Michelle. Michelle is from England, and her accent is pretty cool, though a little hard to adjust too. She met David in her hometown when he traveled there for business. David does some work for an advertising firm and travels a lot. They fell in love, and she followed him here. Three years later they were married and had a four-month-old baby boy.

  The boredom that overtook me when Michelle spoke of diaper changes and different formulas that their son couldn’t keep down was beginning to kill my buzz. I finished my fourth Cosmo and waved my hand at the waitress for another drink.

  “So yeah, other than that, our little one is an angel.” Michelle giggled while reaching for her cell phone. She began to search for something. God, she was going to show me pictures, please no! Sure enough her screen was in front of me with the image of a big green-eyed baby. If it weren’t for the blue shirt and hat, I would’ve mistaken him for a girl. He was cute but nothing to go all aw about.

  I smiled and said what every new mother wants to hear. “He is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”

  With a bright smile, she placed her phone back into her clutch. “Thanks! He is, isn’t he?” I nodded and glanced over at the dance floor.

  Thankfully David asked his wife to dance, and she accepted. Jeremy stood up and walked toward a woman near the bar. They’d been eyeing each other for twenty minutes. They exchanged a few words, and then he led her to the dance floor. I was left alone by myself with no drink. To pass the time, I grabbed my phone out of my clutch. Scrolling through it, I noticed no new emails, texts, or missed calls. The disappointment of having no one contacting me made me feel…lonely. Where the hell was my drink!

  I decided to read old text messages between Jeremy and me. The last text I received from him was an hour ago when David and Michelle arrived and were all over each other.

  GET A ROOM! GROSS! :-/

  I laughed to myself again. My response was a simple LOL.

  I was scrolling through my phone deleting junk emails, when I was presented with another drink. This time I didn’t look up at the waitress as I thanked her. I grabbed it and took another sip. Ah, it was even tastier than the first one. In the middle of indulging my, oh so good Cosmo, I heard the waitress’ startled voice, “Um, good evening, Mr. DeLuca. Would you like your usual?” Choking on my alcohol, I managed to keep my eyes on the glass. I heard a low, deep voice with a slight Boston accent. “Yes, that’s fine. Thank you.” I finally had the courage to look up. The waitress hurried to the bar: this was the fastest I’d seen her move the entire night.

  The man standing before me was definitely God’s gift to women. He was tall, tanned, and had the most gorgeous big brown eyes I’d ever seen. His dark brown hair was neatly brushed with a loosened strand that lay on his perfectly thick arched eyebrows. He smiled at me with his full lips and perfect white teeth. He had one deep dimple on the right side of his cheek. I wanted to melt, but I held my composure. He was even more stunning in person. I’d seen pictures of him on his law firm’s website and in advertisements, but I’d never had the opportunity to meet this beautiful man in person.

  He didn’t speak; instead, he slid over the chair until he was almost beside me. Gently placing my glass down, I hid my shaky hands under the table, laying them on my lap. I straightened my shoulders as he leaned in. Nodding at me, he lifted his right eyebrow. He must have sensed I was nervous because his smile broadened, and he seemed to be amused by his thoughts.

  “Hi, I’m Marcus DeLuca, and you are?” He asked while reaching for his drink that magically appeared out of nowhere. I was instantly enthralled by his adorable smile; it was like a chain reaction, and I couldn’t help but flush in response. Oh my God, I felt my cheeks turn a burning red. I cleared my throat and prepared to respond.

  “Hi, I’m Mia, Jeremy’s friend.” I tilted my head and glanced towards the dance floor where Jeremy was grinding behind a brunette this time. He had ditched the blonde. I glanced back at Mr. Hottie who nodded then took another sip of his drink. The strong liquor from his glass smelled to be whisky or brandy. I wasn’t sure which.

  He put down his drink on top of the table and unhooked the single button on his navy blue suit jacket. I stared at him in awe: one of the side effects of my fourth or was it fifth Cosmo? Whatever, but the Cosmo must have had me feeling this way; he was so hot! I wanted to run my hands through his hair and suck on those lips. What the hell am I thinking? I shook the thought immediately away. He was staring at me suspiciously. Did he suspect my thoughts? It was beginning to feel extremely warm in there. Fanning my face with my hand to cool off didn’t work. My face burned, and I was uncomfortable from the heat.

  “Are you Sullivan? Mia Sullivan?” he asked, folding his hands on-top of the table.

  Biting my lip, I chanced a quick glance at him again. “Yes, how did you know?”

  “Oh, ah, Jeremy mentioned you a few times. Also I tex
ted him earlier to see if he knew you. I’ve heard a lot about the highly recommended, first-year law student, Mia Sullivan.” He playfully smiled. It was adorable.

  I took a deep breath. “Yes, that’s me. I … I didn’t apply. Professor Johnson decided to apply on my behalf. He handed me the acceptance letter for the interview this morning actually.” His eyebrows creased. He grabbed his drink, and before taking a sip, he nodded his head, indicating the “I see” look. I’m not sure if it was a positive or negative response, but it made me wonder if I shouldn’t have mentioned that Professor Johnson submitted the application. What if he thinks I don’t want the position, or what if he doesn’t take me seriously?

  “Hey, there you are! I see you met Mia!” Jeremy interrupted my thoughts. His white shirt was damp, and his face was glistening with sweat. At least I wasn’t the only one who felt warm. “Yes, we met.” DeLuca’s smile was replaced with a serious expression. I wondered, “Oh shit, did I screw up my only opportunity for this externship?” I felt queasy. “So Marc, sorry I can’t hang, but I kind of have this chick that wants to hook up.” Jeremy pointed his thumb to the brunette standing beside the bar. Marcus glanced over his shoulder then back at Jeremy expressionless.

  Jeremy’s smile faded when he turned his head in my direction. “Mia, I know you had too many drinks tonight, will you be okay getting home? I’m going to take a cab back to this chick’s place. Also David and Michelle left like ten minutes ago. Are you going to be okay taking a cab home? I can wait for one with you if you like.” He was mumbling.

  I narrowed my eyes. What the hell makes him think I’ll be okay on my own? You’re my friend, Jeremy. You’re supposed to make sure I get home okay. I wanted to yell at him and I would’ve, if Gorgeous DeLuca weren’t sitting next to me. “I’ll drive her,” Marcus replied nonchalantly. I glanced at his drink. He must have read my mind after he followed my gaze. “This is the only drink I’ve had all night. I’m fine. I can drive her home. Go ahead, Jae; get out of here.” Jeremy’s excitement was pathetic. He practically ran out with the brunette after thanking DeLuca and placing a quick kiss on my cheek. Oh! I’ll get him tomorrow! I plan on it.

  Gulping down the rest of my last Cosmo, I grabbed my clutch and slid over the sofa. I felt fine until I stood up and all the blood rushed to my head. I instantly felt dizzy, and the room seemed to spin. I felt unbalanced with my heels, but DeLuca placed his hand on my elbow, which allowed me to keep steady. I looked at him, and his face was still serious. Great, he must have been angry, having to babysit a drunken law student.

  “Hey, you don’t have to take me home. I’m fine with taking a cab. Thanks anyway,” I said, slowly removing my arm from his grasp.

  He tightened his grip. “No, I’m taking you home. What kind of man would I be if I let you go home completely drunk in a vehicle where a cab driver could possibly take advantage of you?” Looking over his shoulder, he quickly eyed me up and down. “Especially in that dress,” he hissed while dragging me through the crowd.

  My stubbornness instantly kicked in. Who the hell does he think he’s talking to me in that tone? And what’s wrong with my dress?! I yanked my arm from his rough grip. “And what? Shall I get in the car with you, a stranger! What if you take advantage of me?” I yelled over the loud beat of Beyoncé’s voice singing Single Ladies.

  He shook his head and laughed then grabbed my arm again. This time it was tighter than before, and he practically dragged me to a side door with a sign that read EMPLOYEE’S ONLY written in white bold letters. The loud pounding sound of the music was drawn out, and the bright light from the hallway made me squint. We walked down an endless hallway. I was stumbling along, trying to keep my balance.

  “You can’t even stand up straight on your own, and you want to get in a cab? Have you not heard about those four females in Boston within the last year? All four were too drunk and were driven in a cab alone…but never found again!”

  Trying to pull on his grip was useless. “Yes, I heard! And I can’t stand straight because my heels are too high, thank you very much!” I rolled my eyes. I quickly made my judgment on DeLuca: he was an asshole, and that was that! Ugh, I didn’t even know if I wanted to work for this guy.

  He shook his head, “I don’t understand why women put themselves through that torture.” Looking over his shoulder, his eyes seductively traced my entire body, then he fixed his gaze back in front of him, “and you’d look just as good in that dress in flats.” He mumbled as he continued down the hallway. I wasn’t sure whether to take that as a compliment or not.

  When we finally reached the end, there were two very tall, overly built men standing by a metal door. The one dressed in black pants and a navy blue muscle tee reached in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “Hey Boss, you want me to pull the car up?” the guy asked as he looked at me.

  “No, we can walk to the car. Finish the job. Meet me back at the house when it’s done and with the details.” Muscle tee nodded and handed the keys over to DeLuca. The other man wearing a button down light blue shirt opened the door and looked out into the private parking lot. “Good to go,” he said as he held the door open for us.

  We walked out to a breezy night, but the cool air felt good against my warm skin. I breathed in the night air as he continued to lead me across the parking lot. We were finally in front of a black, shiny, tinted Mercedes, of course. He unlocked the door and helped me into the passenger seat. I was drunk, but I managed to remember to strap on my seatbelt. He closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side. He got in and pressed a button for the ignition. It was so quiet that if it weren’t for the dashboard lights, I wouldn’t have known the car was on.

  He looked at me, “So where to?”

  I was suddenly exhausted and nauseated. “You don’t know where I live?” I mumbled.

  “Why would I?”

  Rolling my head along the headrest, I turned to look at him. “Do you know where Jeremy lives?”

  Gorgeous brown eyes stared back into mine. “Yeah,”

  Yawning, I was super tired. “We’re roommates.”

  With furrowed brows, he said, “Oh, he didn’t mention that.”

  “I can tell.” He reversed the car and pulled out of the driveway.

  Chapter Three

  Bang, Bang, Bang. “Mia, open up! Miaaaa!” Bang, Bang, Bang. I was awakened by a loud noise. The rude interruption startled me. I looked around and realized I was home in my room on my own bed. Thank God. My heart slowly returned to a normal pace. I was in my panties and bra with last night’s dress lying beside me. Managing to sit up, I felt dizzy. Uh, it felt like I was hit with a hundred-pound-weight ball.

  “Mia, open up!” Jeremy’s voice trailed from out front. Jumping out of bed, I quickly threw on a t-shirt then headed for the living room. When I opened the door, I was greeted with a relieved grin. Jeremy said nothing as he walked by and headed straight for the guest bathroom leaving the door wide open as he undid his fly and peed. “Ahhh,” he moaned. I slammed the front door and walked towards him. He shook Thor twice, then zipped back up, and headed for the couch.

  I rolled my eyes as I entered the bathroom. I had to flush the toilet because he always forgets to do that small task! Sitting down, I released all of the alcohol I’d consumed the day before. Feeling queasy as I stood to flush the toilet, I hesitated before washing my hands. Once the urge to throw up passed, I joined him on the couch. Jeremy’s eyes were shut with his head slumped back onto the sofa’s armrest. “So, where are your keys?” I asked suspiciously, but I knew the answer already.

  Slightly lifting his head, he opened one eye. “I don’t know. I lost them somewhere. I searched everywhere possible.” He mumbled.

  Both eyes were open, and he sat up at my glare.

  Leaning over him as I stood by the end of the couch, I raised my hand to chastise him. “Jeremy, this is the third time we’ve changed the locks due to your irresponsible behavior. You lose your keys, and I get stuck with making the phone c
alls and waiting all day for the maintenance man to replace the lock!” With both hands on my hips, I waited for his explanation. He had none.

  He rubbed his head, disgusted with himself or with my attitude. “I know, I know, I’ll make the phone call. I promise.” With his right hand against his chest and his left palm in the air, he pledged this time he would.

  I scowled at him. “We both know that it will take months before you call. Ugh, I’ll just do it later.” I decided there was no point in continuing to argue, so I headed back to my bedroom and searched for my sweats. He followed me and jumped on my bed. Before I could even remember it, he was holding my vibrator up with a crooked smile.

  “So I take it you didn’t get laid last night.”

  Embarrassed I jumped over the bed and snatched my toy that was swinging in his hand. After I secured it in my drawer, I made a mental note to clean it later. I refused to clean my toys in front of him. It would have just given him something to tease me about for the next few weeks, and I had no idea where his hands had been. I didn’t remember using it either!

  He laughed out loud but instantly snapped out of it when he met my evil glare. By the time I found my sweats and put them on, Jeremy was comfortable on my bed with the back of his head leaning against my pillow. I scooted beside him and shifted under the covers. "So, how was your night?" I asked, trying to focus on anything other than the memory of Jeremy swinging my toy in the air with a wicked grin.

  His hands covered his entire face, and he mumbled underneath his palms. “It was terrible! I followed this chick all the way to her place, but when we got there, she fell asleep! I was too tired and drunk to hop back in a cab, so I just crashed there. I left this morning before she awoke.”

  I burst into laughter, and he peeked at me through his spread fingers. He wasn’t amused, which made me laugh harder. "Oh, Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy, so I take it Thor didn’t get any action either?” I teased, and I could tell he didn’t appreciate my sarcasm by his narrow eyes. I slapped his arm, “Oh don’t be so lame.”